It's a Spring Thing

Wee glass Easter Egg pendants.

Broke out all the Val Cox frits for these little guys:
Haiku, Cashmere White, Golden Brown, Peony, Purple Rose, Raku, Enchanted...
Each egg was made on the end of a 3/32" mandrel.

Some have fancy end caps that I made.
Some just have a bail.
Both ways are put together with 2-part epoxy.

They're all for sale at Let's Bead.

They were so much fun to make - and decorate.
I did not use a graphite, or brass, shaping tool.
Just spot heating and gravity to make their eggy shapes.

Lentil Pendants

Guess who got a new lentil press?

A new style of 'end of the mandrel' pendant.

These are fun to make.
And on these first practice ones I just used up bench scraps of glass and a few funky murrini.
Each one is about 1 1/4" wide.

In case you're wondering, I glue my bails in with 2-part epoxy.

Heart Pendents

Lotsa new heart pendants that were made on the end of the mandrel.

It's been 'wrap every bead in silver foil' week.
Isn't it weird how you get on jags like that?

I also made some murrini this week.
Little spring flowers.
Right?
It cannot come soon enough, it's snowing here in upstate New York today.

By reaching way back into my lampwork repertoire I torched a heart with wings.

Leaf & Berry

One of my favorite earring designs, I call it 'leaf & berry.'

The pair above has ridged berries made of Opalino Carnelian glass and leaves made of Vetrofond Cosmic Storm ODD Special glass. I have just a little bit of Opalino Carnelian glass still in my stash, I wonder if this beautiful glass is ever going to be available again?

This pair has berries of clear glass with Val Cox's 'High Ho Silver' frit and leaves of clear with Val Cox's 'African Violets' frit.

It is a simple enough design. One small pair of berries and one pair of small off mandrel leaves.
The variations are endless and they are effortless to wear.
I try to always have at least a half a dozen pairs in my show inventory.

Dripping With Pearls

Can something be overly decorative and "organic?"
Of course.

New earrings with my glass beads and hand painted ceramic bead caps.
Also used some rhinestone rondelles, vintage chain and rice pearls.
The leverback earwires are sterling silver.

That's a lot of earring.
Not my usual 'keep it simple' style but they were a blast to make.